The Letter J
by beexfeatheryduster
Summary: After breaking up with her latest boyfriend Sarah finally accepts the truth of her feelings for our dearest Jareth - M for one word, just to be on the mega safe side
1. Chapter 1

**Authors note: Well folks, here's another little foray into the world of Labyrinth. One of these days I might be confident enough in it to write you a nice big full length story. Till then, I hope you can read and hopefully enjoy this small one-shot of mine. This one's taken from Sarah's point of view, rather than Jareth's like my others - Bee x**

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Sarah sighed and shut the door behind her, effectively dismissing the man on her doorstep. It had probably been really callous of her to do so but Sarah had finally broken up with Jared. She had held some small, fragile hope within her that things would work out properly between them, and that Jared would be the one to make her forget. However, that was not the case. Once again, Sarah was disappointed. She put the lock on her door and moved to the window, watching Jared Buckley walk down the path, his shoulders hunched, hands thrust deep into his coat pockets and eyes downcast. Sarah felt saddened by what she had had to do, but that was the truth of the entire matter. She had to let him go, no matter how much it would hurt him. Jared was now the last in a long line of ex-boyfriends who had adored and doted on Sarah William's. Still, despite their loving attentions, Sarah could not be truly happy or contented with them. They all lacked something. She had railed against it for yours but Sarah had finally given into the truth and realized that there was only one man she knew who possessed what all the others did not.

Sarah grabbed hold of her curtains and threw them shut, shielding her view of Jared making his solitary way back home. Jared. Jared, it was too close to His name. Sarah had never really focused on that point before but now that she did she was highly surprised that she hadn't noticed before. Jared. Sarah was thankful that she had a tendency to keep her silence during sex with her boyfriends. It would have been all too easy for her to slip up otherwise, and that would not have been good. Jared would have questioned her as to who this other man was and Sarah wouldn't know what to do. She couldn't have told him the truth. It was a past possibility, and Sarah was immensely grateful that it had not happened. There was always a way to explain things, but Sarah would have been clueless as to what she could have said to Jared had those events actually transpired.

"Oh yes, because telling him the truth would work out great wouldn't it?" Sarah scoffed to the empty room. There was no reply, and if there had actually been a reply Sarah would probably have had a heart attack from the fright. There would only be two reasons for a reply and neither of them were attractive to Sarah. She crossed the room and threw herself into her chair in a less than graceful manner. She reached for the remote balancing on the table beside the chair and pointed it at the television, bringing the set to life. She flicked through the channels, hardly taking any notice of the programmes that were on. She just needed noise in the background so she could think. Silence unnerved Sarah, and had done since that night six years ago when she had wished her brother Toby away.

Finally Sarah selected a documentary on the Roman Emperors Caligula and Nero. She had developed some interest in the Roman culture and it's people over the course of the past four years. Before that, her interest, which had bordered on obsession, had been fairy tales and the Underground. All those stories. Even now she could recall them with perfect clarity. Sighing heavily Sarah reached for the full glass of white wine on the table. She had never liked red wine, and when questioned as to why she could never say. She just knew that she didn't like red wine. No, Sarah was a very fond lover of white wine. Nothing could soothe her nerves when they were at their most frazzled, or her emotions at their most feral and rampant, than a bottle of good white wine. She took a sip of the wine, her fingers curled round the glass, as she stared at the television screen. With what could almost be desperation, Sarah tried to wipe her mind blank and focus on the programme. She would not think of Jared, or any of her previous boyfriends. Nor would she think about Him, in al His majestic glory. Hair that was honey gold at the roots and blending to become platinum at the tips. Then those eyes, piercing deep into her as if to read her very soul. She had thought they were brown, but then she had been sure that she'd actually seen blue.

"So much for not thinking about Him" Sarah snorted to herself. There was no one other than herself to hear what she was saying, meaning that Sarah was addressing an empty room, but that seemed to help her. She had discovered over the years that sometimes voicing one's own thoughts when no one was around to hear did help relieve you a little bit. It was a practice Sarah was fond of.

"You've got it bad haven't you?" She sighed, questioning herself even though she already knew the answer. Yes, she did have it bad, and she had done for a long time. It had taken her so long to realize it, and to stop denying and just accept it. Sarah Williams was in love. The signs had been there the entire time; she had just never bothered looking close enough. That, or she didn't want to look close for fear of what she would find. Her ex-boyfriends.

Every man that Sarah had dated had had a name beginning with J. There was Jared. There had been Jason with his sleek long platinum blonde hair. Then there had been John with his messy rockstar style dark hair and brown eyes. Jack had followed, with sparkling blue eyes and cat like features; his hair had been a rich honey colour. Julian had found her wandering around in the park trying to find her dog Merlin. He had such a warm smile and Sarah had initially been rather frightened until she remembered that this was not Him. Julian had looked so much like Him, just with a lot less presence, kinder eyes and a less sharp face. It was after Julian that Sarah had realized the truth of the matter, still she had fought it until tonight when Jared had called to say he was coming round. All her past boyfriend's names had begun with a J, and they all had some feature in common with Him.

"God why can't I say it! It's not that difficult Sarah!" She growled, highly frustrated that, even now, she still couldn't utter the name of the man she was in love with. Constantly, she referred to him as Him, never giving him his name. Well, that would change. Sarah took another gulp of wine for courage. She had avoided saying it, for so long, out of fear that he would hear her. Now though, she would say it, consequences be damned

"Oh damn it all! I, Sarah William's, am in love with Jareth, the Goblin King" Sarah said boldly, tipping the remaining wine in her glass down her throat. She waited for a moment, still and silent. She had thought for a second or two there that he would have heard her, and brought himself to her home from the Underground. With that thought Sarah started giggling, the now empty glass still clutched in her hand. Wine, it was the devil for Sarah. Tempting her, sometimes into sin. She'd lost her virginity because of wine's affect on her faculties. Despite that, the sin wasn't always that bad. Sarah had received many a good screwing because of wine removing all her inhibitions.

Sarah eventually stopped laughing and looked at the glass in her hand critically, trying to figure out exactly how much wine she'd had. That glass in her hand, it had been filled practically to the brim with wine four times that night. Sarah was well on her way to being drunk, and she liked the idea. Sarah let the glass drop the floor as she rose fro her chair and made her way through into her kitchen. She threw the kitchen door open and hastily tore a new wine bottle from her fridge. Sarah loved nothing more than a nice, cold bottle of wine. She uncorked the bottle and hesitated for a second before making her decision

"Who needs a glass eh?" Sarah remarked to no one in particular. She took a few gulps from the bottle and started giggling again as she burst back into her living room. The giggling stopped very quickly, and all humour left Sarah to be replaced with horror. She gasped and the bottle of wine slipped from her grasp, falling to the floor, the liquid rushing out of the bottle and beginning to soak into the carpet. There, in the centre of her living room, stood the man she had never thought she would ever see again, the man whose name she had feared to speak.

"Jareth!" Sarah exclaimed, hardly able to believe that he was actually there. As she watched him, her eyes wide, Sarah didn't know if she was horrified, or happy that he was here. He was watching her, with badly disguised amusement on his face, his back straight and every inch of him radiating his pride and prowess. His lips were quirked in an amused smile and as he had been the first time they had met, he was covered in glitter

"Hello Sarah"


	2. Chapter 2

**Authors note: Ah, I just felt the need. I couldn't really leave this where it was. So, I'm leaving it here :) Hope you enjoy - Bee x**

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Sarah was stunned to say the least. Here he was in all his glory, standing in her living room of all places. He looked exactly as she remembered him. The leather riding boots reaching to mid-calf, the pale purple leggings that were sinfully tight and showed every line of those long, elegant legs. His hands were sheathed in gloves of the finest quality leather Sarah had ever encountered, and he'd held her hand with them so she knew they were high quality. The white shirt covering his torso was itself covered by a short, purple jacket which Sarah reckoned was made from the same quality of leather as his gloves. The Goblin King Jareth, in all his majesty.

"You- You're here!" Sarah exclaimed after finally finding her voice. She was still in disbelief that this had actually happened. Not only that he had heard her call, but that he had answered it.

"How perceptive of you" He commented, his tone filled with that oh so familiar mocking, and a slight harshness she remembered well. He hadn't changed since they had met, not one little bit it seemed. With those four words Sarah was finally broken free from her frankly gobsmacked trance.

"Why are you here?" She questioned forcefully, drawing herself up to her full height. All signs of the mild intoxication she had been experiencing before melted away in face of the situation she found herself in. No matter how attractive he was, which was very, Sarah could not afford to forget that he was just as dangerous as he was handsome and charming.

"Come now Sarah. You know the answer to that" The mocking in his tone had suddenly been replaced with what Sarah would call amusement. She felt a quick flash of anger within her at the thought of him finding her amusing. It was as though she were a child all over again, and Sarah William's was very far from a child now.

"I didn't wish for Toby to be taken away. So, why. Are. You. Here?" The last of Sarah's words were forcefully expelled from behind gritted teeth. He'd been in her home for less than five minutes and already she felt an overwhelmingly strong urge to smack that amused look of his sharp, defined and very handsome face. _No Sarah! Not handsome! Cruel not handsome_ Sarah inwardly scolded herself. _Just as I can be so cruel_ His words sang to her all those years ago in the Escher Room floated back into her mind and Sarah shook her head, trying to dispel them and keep her mind clear. She would need all her wits about her when it came to dealing with the Goblin King.

"You called for me Sarah, I am here" He replied, opening his arms wide as if to say 'tah dah' or to invite her into his embrace. Part of Sarah would have preferred the latter, but was well aware that it was the former. The phrase 'wishful thinking' would have had a lot of meaning then.

"I didn't call for you! I said your name!" Sarah retorted angrily. She didn't know exactly who she was angry with though; him or herself. He had been the one to appear, radiating his overbearing smugness and arrogance in every detail of his body. However, she had been stupid enough to say his name. She had always known there had been a reason for her to have never spoken, or even thought of, his name.

"You said my name Sarah" He spoke softly as he approached her, crossing the distance between them with cat-like grace. He paused, so close to her. She could feel the warmth from his body as he leaned in even closer to her. He brought one hand up and swept her hair behind her ear, his gloved fingers brushing gently across the skin at her temple and the shell of her ear.

"With longing" His voice seemed even softer than before, like silk across velvet. Sarah shivered involuntarily, a warm feeling running through her at his touch and the sound of his voice.

He pulled back and took a few steps away from her, his lips curled into a twisted smile that proclaimed his satisfaction at eliciting such a response from her. Sarah inwardly cursed him to the deepest depths of hell, before giving herself a sound cursing and scolding for reacting that way.

"And so I came. I always come for you Sarah" He remarked, his lips still twisted in that self-satisfied smile, his eyes watching her reactions closely. Sarah found herself gulping, her brain suddenly deciding that he wasn't talking about his arrival in her home anymore. With his actions before and the ridiculously sexy way he was standing before her, Sarah could see why it was difficult to keep her mind focused on the matter at hand. She needed to though. So, she took a deep breath and shut her eyes for a moment, thinking of something not Jareth related. Work, she had to go to work tomorrow, and it wasn't fun. Work was not a sexy man with rock star style blonde hair, it was very far from it. After a few moments of thinking of work Sarah opened her eyes, and glared at Jareth.

"What do we do then?" She questioned, not entirely sure what the format was for this meeting. The last time it had been reasonably simple. Sarah had wished away Toby and Jareth had taken him. Sarah had asked for Toby back, and Jareth had let Sarah run the Labyrinth and win him back. There was no Toby involved this time though, thankfully. Jareth cocked his head ever so slightly to the side, a few strands of his blonde hair coming loose.

"Whatever you want to Sarah" He replied, almost immediately. The only thing Sarah wanted right now was a little bit more wine, perhaps a whole bottle more. _And Jareth naked in your bed, or on the floor. Hell, it doesn't matter where_ Sarah's mind spoke up, traitorous as it was. Sarah blushed ever so slightly at the thought, her mind happily providing her with many images.

"I want you to leave" She said, her voice trembling as she spoke. Jareth's smile slowly disappeared and his entire body stiffened. He was unnervingly still for more moments than Sarah cared to count. Then he turned on his heel and walked away, heading for the door. Sarah watched on in shock. She couldn't believe he was actually going to leave! More importantly, that he was actually following her want and desire. Except it wasn't what she wanted, and it wasn't her desire. Sarah William's had let this man go once before, and she had been granted another chance. She knew now that she felt strongly for him, every man she had dated was close to Jareth in some way. They were never him though, and they never could be. Jareth was the only man Sarah Williams wanted, and she knew in her heart she was the only man she would ever want. No one else could compare, and she was about to let him walk out of her life forever.

"Wait! Jareth stop!" Sarah called out, running over to him. His hand was on the handle of her front door, but he had stopped. She reached her hand out and put it on his shoulder. He turned to face her, letting go of the door handle. Sarah let her hand drop to rest at her side. His face was not animated by any particular emotion like it nearly always was. He was like a statue, cold and carved in stone. Sarah would be lying if she said it didn't frighten her.

"I didn't mean it; I was just angry, and confused. Stay. Please" Sarah said, her voice filled with pleading. She was leaving herself wide open to be hurt, torn apart really. She didn't particularly care though, for there was always the chance he would stay. Love was a gamble, and there was always going to be a risk. The reward though, was worth the risk, and in this case it truly was. Jareth was silent for a few heartbeats before he placed his hand on Sarah's waist and pulled her close. He wrapped his other arm round her, imprisoning her in a tight embrace. Sarah returned the embrace and shut her eyes. This was what she had longed for, for so long. Finally, she had what she had wanted for years. Jareth, the Goblin King, in her arms. Jareth let go of her and pushed her back slightly so they could properly see each other.

"Sarah. I've waited years to hear you say that" His voice was soft once more, and his lips lifted upwards into a true, genuine smile, filled with warmth and affection. He ran his fingers across Sarah's cheek gently before cupping her chin and tilting her face upwards. He lowered his lips to meet hers and for the first time in a long time, Sarah felt happy and content.


End file.
